The National Parks Re-Airs on PBS

The six-part series, airing on Wednesday nights, documents with stunning visuals the rich story behind the creation of our national parks. The tale is filled with inspiration, and humanity and includes Wilderness Society founders.

While awaiting the debut of the documentary in September, Annette Kondo, the Wilderness Society’s communications director for the California-Nevada region, interviewed Burns about the documentary’s significance for conservation on public lands.

More about The National Parks and The Wilderness Society

Within the boundaries of the stunning national parks that Burns explores are millions of acres of designated Wilderness, the highest level of protection afforded by the government.

Parkland Wilderness designations are important for they ensure the most pristine portions of our precious national parks remain unblemished from human and industrial development for all Americans to enjoy year after year.

Not all national park lands are permanently protected as Wilderness, and that includes many lands that should be. For example, until this year only a sliver of Colorado’s beloved Rocky Mountain National Park was designated Wilderness — 2,917 of the park’s 265,770 acres to be exact.

In 2009, The Wilderness Society helped win the long struggle to expand those protections. Today, the majority of Rocky Mountain National Park — a full 250,000 acres — is protected as Wilderness. Now the true backcountry quality of these beloved lands will remain safe for future generations to enjoy.

This year we’re working to expand wilderness protection in California’s famed Death Valley National Park and in Texas’ Big Bend National Park where an incredible diversity of archaeological sites, river valley and desert and mountain terrain offers visitors an unique blend of rich experiences.